Honestly I have no idea. Ever since Mariota decided to go back to Oregon, the pundits view of this QB crop has changed. Its Bridgewater and Carr, and then NO, 'Manziel is a sure fire thing!' I don't think we will know at least until next year. I do know that aside from Bridgewater perhaps, Mariota would be the best QB in this draft.
I would love to have been in the war room last year when Idzik gave BOTH first round picks to Rex for his defense! MM must have almost quit right then and there.
the answer to your question of why didnt any of these teams take him is simple. if you remember most of the talk at last years draft was how deep THIS years class was, especially in the qb dept. they were comparing it to the elway-marino class. all of those teams were giving the young guy they already had one more year so if it didnt work, they had a shot at this class. think about it for a second. last year you had 3 kids that anyone even talked about at the qb position. manuel, who most thought by draft day was the one cant miss. geno, who was the hot pick early in the CFB season but after a shit end of the year for him, fell to us, and the kid from syracuse who is sitting behind eli and his own coach picked manuel over him. glennon came on as a dark horse closer to draft day. thats pretty much it. everyone else was considered a project at best. why waste a high pick on a qb once manuel was off the board? no one after him was considered cant miss by the draft experts or most scouts. obviously what those teams do this year will prove this right or wrong, but i believe my theory is really the only one that makes sense. these teams held out to take a shot at the deepest qb class we have seen in a long time. if not then we know even more about why they all are perennially terrible
Ponder was coming off a solid season and a playoff berth. And he was headed to his 3rd season where Minny thought that he'd take another step up. Saying Philly was looking for a QB is revisionist history. Foles showed some potential in his rookie year and they still had Vick, why draft a QB that early when you have a QB that you drafted in the 3rd round that showed some promise a year earlier? Josh Freeman was coming off one of his best seasons. And he was only 25, it made sense to go into 2013 with Freeman. And maybe draft a QB in the later rounds which they actually did. The Cardinals signed Carson Palmer. In their minds they felt they didn't need one. The Raiders traded for Matt Flynn and they still had Pryor on the roster.
Ponder I can buy. Philly too. Freeman? if they were remotely sold on him they wouldn't have given up on him early in 2013 and they took a QB in the draft. Palmer is awful and a stop gap, that shouldn't have stopped them from drafting a QB. Matt Flynn? seriously?
They gave up on Freeman because he sucked midway through the 2013 season. But in 2012 he was good, he had a bad 2 game stretch to end the season. So it made sense to give him another year. The Raiders announced that Flynn was their starter and they had another young QB in Pryor as well. Like I said in the Cardinals eyes they felt they didn't need to draft a QB.
So you're one of those guys that thinks we got a low-mid first round franchise QB at 39? I'm not surprised. Hey, if that makes you feel better, maybe clear up some of the confusion in your own mind, have at it. _
I feel like the plan was very clearly outlined for the direction of the franchise during last year's draft. There was ONE offensive difference maker in the first round last year and he was picked before we were on the clock. Why reach for an offensive player when next year's (this year's) draft is chock full of guys that can be very very good pros offensively?
Exactly why I wanted to wait too. There are folks here trying to feel better about our pick that they will call this class average or overrated, that all these guys aren't very good or have flaws or again are overrated. This class blows away last years class in top end talent and depth to about 7-8 guys. But no one here trying to feel better about last year will admit it. Geno would be the 4th or 5th QB off the board this year and 2 guys behind him may turn out to be better. Not saying Geno isn't a player and may turn out to be our QB for the next 10 years, but THIS was the draft to take a guy, either in the first, the 2nd-3rd or mid rounds. _
Greeny on ESPN this morning had a good point. People like point to Geno falling last year because of less QB needy teams, but it's more of a fact that he fell because people weren't in love with Geno Smith the player. If teams thought he was good enough, there's no way he falls to the second round - the need argument is moot. Having said that, I think at least one of the QBs talked about this year will fall as well. They always do.
oh so his play from 2009-2012 meant nothing, they made a decision in September of 2013. Come on. Flynn is awful and Pryor was as raw as they come. That wouldn't stop a good organization from taking a QB. If the Cardinals felt that they were stupid
No, you're creating rationalizations to make yourself feel better. That's ok, I still rationalize if I was 3 inches taller I'd have been a pro athlete. We all make up things in our mind to confuse ourselves about the past. It's ok. I have my short parents to blame, you have 10-12 stupid GMs to blame. _
Some people still want to hold onto the fantasy that we got the number 1 player in the draft last year. Which isn't necessary- we got great value. And you're right somebody will undoubtedly fall. For instance, I think Teddy is the number 1 pick. Some experts do as well but none of us are professional scouts or front office people or GMs. It's entirely possible that Teddy falls to the second round this year. That doesn't mean he "fell" it means that's what he was all along and we all guessed wrong. Just like Geno last year. None of us know anything, we're all just guessing. _
Freeman showed flashes in 09, and had a good season 2010, he regressed in 2011, and had a good season in 2012, and was awful in 2013 which lead to him getting kicked out of Tampa. When teams invest a 1st round pick on a QB, you don't give up on them after 4 up and down years. And with Freeman's play in 2012, it made sense to give him another year. Hindsight is 20/20 this time last year, Flynn had the benefit of those good games he had as a Packer. The general consensus was that just because Russell Wilson beat him out, it doesn't mean that Flynn was bad, it meant that Russell was better. Oakland needed a QB and thought that a 27 year old Flynn could be the solution. Once the 2013 preseason began it became clear that Flynn sucks. It doesn't make the Cardinals "stupid"
So you're saying they're stupid to pass on Geno? So that means you do think Geno was a first round QB that fell? Wow.
No, YOU think they are stupid, that's got to be the rationalization if he was the number 1 pick. Wow, you're not good at this game. _
